With All My Heart
by t3ars0fglass
Summary: "As the old saying goes, forgive and forget, for I will no longer be in your life."
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, first, yes, I know this is a reoccurring theme in the Henry and Regina mother/son thing…but I'm like totally obsessed with the idea… So, here is what I think should have gone down on the show. **

There was only one place left for Regina Mills, and that was out of Storybrooke. With the unfolding of recent events, the brunette mayor had been scorned, shunned, rejected….and all by the one person she loved most in the world. Henry. The idea of starting fresh—without her son—did not easily come as a comfort, but she knew the dire consequences of staying in the Podunk, little town. So, unfortunately, Regina Mills packed her bags, and without letting a word slip to anyone, fled from the cursed municipality.

That had been four months ago, but even now she hadn't heard anything from the boy she called her son. He hadn't called, hadn't gone looking for her…she'd be damned if Henry had even noticed her absence, but she highly doubted that. She was just a nuisance to the town, and leaving, as sad as it was, was the best decision she had ever made.

After settling in a small condo in the heart of New York City, Regina had acquired a job at a local fashion magazine. Of course, she had started at the bottom, but her hard work and persistence—not to mention her upstaged clothing—had gotten her moved up the ranking of executive branches very quickly. She attained a higher position, her own office, and a legion of workers that she was to call her employees. Much like Storybrooke, she was boss, and what she said went. There was no question to her authority in the new workplace, nor was that a problem for her. Being in charge had always been one of those things that Regina called a "God Given Talent."

Today was different, though. After four months with no company alongside her, Regina had had time to script a letter to Henry to leave everything in his best interests. The house, her Mercedes, the money she had intentionally left in a trust fund that would all go to him. She hoped it would be enough, especially for college, but she was no longer a part of his life and college didn't seem to be her responsibility. If Emma claimed Henry to be her son, then she was going to deal with everything…but that didn't mean Regina wasn't going to leave him something just in case.

She licked the sticky part of the envelope and sealed it shut, fingers pressing along the edges. Her heart rate was picking up, though on the exterior she remained perfectly composed. A flawlessly manicured hand opened up the blue mailbox on the corner of Main Street, and its match carefully dropped the letter into it. Regina released her breath, quickly taking another, and continued walking down the block. Her tall, stiletto heels clicked on the pavement under her, and because the air was cooler, she shoved her hands into her coat pockets.

* * *

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Regina exclaimed when she bumped into one of the consultants in her district. The papers the man had been carrying flew out of his hands as he desperately tried to catch them before they hit the floor. Without wasting another moment, she bent down to retrieve the scattered folders and graphs. "Here," she smiled, handing the papers back to him.

"Thanks." The acknowledgement was terse and muttered under an aggravated breath, but Regina smiled anyways and walked down the Prada-lined hallway to her office.

"Stacy," she called, finger on the call button on her phone. The secretary answered immediately, albeit a little out of fear.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Get product on the line. Miller says their shipment arrived two hours ago, and no one has picked it up." She released the button and smoothed out the wrinkles on her shirt before looking around for her coffee. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the brown stain that covered the front of her shirt. "Damn," Her finger hit the call button once again. "And get me a new shirt. That asshole from accounts spilled my coffee on me."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Less than ten minutes later, the ordeal with Products had been sorted out, and Regina was changed into a fresh, stainless blouse. She took her seat in a comfortable lounge chair in front of her desk in the corner of the room. It was nice, the former mayor had to admit. Although she wasn't completely in charge, it was fun. Fashion had always been something she had taken an interest in…but her mother's persistent torture on the everyday life of an upper class woman had her scared to do anything other than climb the ladder of social hierarchy.

So, all in all, not running things worked for her. Freedom worked for her.

* * *

A little over a month had passed when Henry started to notice Regina's absence. Her disappearance only furthered Emma and Charming's suspicion of her, and the only reason they were willing to hunt her down was to make sure she wasn't plotting against them. But, Henry knew better. Every time he tried to bring about the subject of something having gone terribly wrong with her, he was immediately shut down and reminded of what terrible things she had done in the past. Still, something in his gut kept telling him that, while he loved Regina, he had gone too far.

It wasn't until he received a letter in the mail nearly three months after he had noticed that his heart sank into his stomach and his throat became blocked up with the threat of tears. He recognized the scrawl on the envelope, but before he took the time to remember her, Henry had already ripped it open. His delicate fingers clawed angrily at the paper until it came undone and opened in the palms of his hand.

_ My Dearest Henry,_

_There are no words that can describe how truly sorry I am for situations to have worked out the way they did. By now, you have probably noticed that I am no longer in Storybrooke, or Maine for that matter, and have decided that I am not returning. The town…you…would be better off without me, and I can only hope that one day, when you are older, you will be able to forgive me for my mistakes. And, as the old saying goes, forgive and forget, for I will no longer be in your life._

_We both know that it was time for me to go._

_To you, my darling baby boy, I leave the estate and my car, as well as all of my other belongings. Never forget how much I love you, no matter what anyone says about me. I understand that in the past, my wrong-doings only hurt you more, and for that I apologize a million times over. I can only imagine how much of a burden that must have been. I do love you, Henry, I always will. Never doubt that. You were, are, the only thing in my life that matters, but I want you to have a chance at happiness. I want you to be able to find your Happy Ending even though I never could. _

_It is important to me, as my last request from you, that you are to never come looking for me. You will not find me. _

_I Love You With All My Heart,_

_Your Mother, Regina Mills._

Henry was in tears by the time he finished reading the letter, but he restrained himself from ripping it up and going in search of her. He held the piece of parchment in his hands and continued to stare at the words—fuzzed in his clouded mind—until another nimble hand removed it from his grasp.

"She's gone." He whispered.

"What?" Henry looked meet Emma's eyes. Despite the pain she wished to know more about, she tore her gaze away from her son and began to read the letter. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no!"

"She left this for you." Henry told her, handing her another piece of paper with Regina's delicate handwriting imprinted across the page. She tore it open without a second thought.

_Ms. Swan,_

_Although in my mind, I have many things I wish to say to you, there is only one thing that I find worthy enough to put in this letter. I believe I had overstayed my welcome here in Storybrooke, and I do not wish to cause you any more suffering. _

_I have decided to leave Henry in your care, Emma. I know you will do whatever it takes to ensure that he will be safe. I have left him the house and the Mercedes that he is not to receive until his sixteenth birthday. I have also left a trust fund in your name for when he goes off to college. It should be enough to cover all of the expenses._

_Take care of him, Ms. Swan._

_Regina_

The letter was short, but it drug out the guilty feeling from the pit of her stomach nonetheless. Some part of her was happy that Regina was gone…most of her was happy that Regina was gone, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for taking away Henry. The boy had truly been the only thing she had left in the world.

"Henry…I—I don't know what to say." Emma finally conceded. She heard the sigh that escaped Henry's lips, but only felt worse.

"I knew she left. I wasn't sure, but I think somewhere, I just knew." He was trying not to cry. The thickness in his voice only deepened with the thought of his lost mother. "She deserves to be happy."

**Should I continue it? Yes, no? Maybe? Review and let me know…. **


	2. Chapter 2

"So," came a steady voice from behind her. Regina whipped her head up to stare at the man that occupied the doorway of her office. He was tall with tan skin that complemented his dark hair. His eyes were a striking blue, and the woman could only roll her own as he took a seat in the chair in front of her desk. "I hear you think I'm an asshole."

"Yes, because you are. Remind me to fire Stacy." Though the retort was meant to be biting, it came out a frustrated, yet sarcastic quip that had the manager from accounts chuckling. He reached a large hand to tighten his tie around his neck before letting it drop to her desk; his fingers thrummed against the cool mahogany wood.

"And what did I do to earn that title? Hm?"

"You know what, Michael, I don't have time for this right now. Run back to your little," she waved a hand in the air as she thought of a good word to use until she finally bit one out. "Daycare."

"Oh, you wound me." Michael raised a hand to his chest in mock hurt, but a smile graced his lips all the same. He braced his hands against the edge of her desk and pushed back so that his chair slid against the marble floor. Standing, he turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and Michael?" Regina called with a cruel smile, and the man turned, one hand pulling the door shut just enough so his face was still visible through the crack. "You really are an asshole." He chuckled and closed the door.

Regina leaned back in her chair as she watched the, albeit, attractive, man leave and sighed, a smile still gripping the sides of her face. She had met the man two months ago when she had moved up from her scrappy writing job and straight on to Editorials where she processed the articles that were to be put into their magazine. Michael was a manager from accounts, or to be formal, he was Director of Accounts down on floor seven. The two had encountered for the first time when she was moving boxes and accidentally dropped one on his foot. He laughed, didn't bother to help her pick up the mess, and went on his way, but not before giving her a wink and a smile. She simply rolled her eyes and continued on her way, but their banter hadn't ceased.

Each time they saw each other, they got even…one way or another. Whether it was spilling coffee on the other, repartee, or extremely visible flirting, the two never finished what they had supposedly started. Regina, however, was happy for that. He was, possibly, the one person she thought she could count on, and she soon realized it was because she trusted him.

The thought shocked her, and although her eyes left the door and returned to paperwork, her mind continued to play around with the thought of actually having person she could trust. Of course, she had trusted Henry, but after ending up with another broken heart, she thought she had closed off the walls and sealed away the key. Nobody should have been able to get in, and yet this guy that she barely even knew had managed to gain her trust. She immediately froze…it couldn't continue like that. She would trust no one.

Regina closed her eyes slowly as she made up her mind. She could trust no one.

She returned to her upscale apartment after she had finished at work, slamming the door shut behind her and leaning up against the wall so that she could kick off her heels. Regina mindlessly wandered into her kitchen with the box of leftovers in her hand before tossing them on the counter and throwing herself onto the couch with an "Oof."

She pulled her old phone out of the side-table drawer and checked the messages, expecting not to see anything. But when the face lit up and she unlocked it, the message was displayed prominently across the screen.

_18 New Messages_

She clicked the play button and moved the phone to her ear.

_ "Message One of Eighteen: Hey, Regina. It's Emma. Look—"_

She quickly hit the next button. Regina sighed, but she pressed the next button anyways in hopes of hearing Henry's voice.

_"Message Two of Eighteen: Regina? Listen, I am so sorry for what happened with your mother. I never meant…" _

The phone dead ended, so Regina removed the speaker from her ear. She hit next once more, and then two more times, and then a few more, but none of them were Henry's. She sadly set the phone on the table next to her after turning it off and shutting the screen. Leaning back, her head hit the cushion underneath her, and her eyes had just fluttered shut when the doorbell rang. "What the—"

"Regina?" She heard from the other side. "You in there?"

She rolled on to her feet, making her way over to the door before unlatching the lock and opening it. "How did you—?" Michael cut her off when he strode into her apartment and made himself at home on her couch. "Michael, what are you doing here? How did you even know where I lived?"

"I saw you leaving that Chinese place looking really upset…so I followed you. Figured you could use some company." He snuggled in deeper into the couch before speaking. "So, what's on your mind?" His hand absently padded the place next to him. Regina opened her mouth to answer him, eyebrows raised, but he cut her off. "Wait….you got any beer?"

She pointed to the fridge, and the man jumped off of the sofa, barreled over to the double door freezer and swung it open to remove two bottles of cider. He turned with a question mark, and Regina smiled. "Don't worry, dear. It has alcohol." He grinned widely, reaching for two glasses that sat in the cabinets behind him. The drinks filled both glasses, liquid swashing around in the containers as Michael made his way over to the couch. He handed her one before speaking.

"So, what's got you all upset?"

Something twisted in Regina's stomach, perhaps the reminder that she was to trust no one…ever again, and she stuck to that rule and remained quiet.

"Aw, come on, Regina. Just tell me." She shook her head.

"I can't." She replied steadily, and took another swig. Michael raised an eyebrow, so she elaborated. "I promised myself I would never trust anyone again…Michael, I'm sorry, but I can't talk about this stuff. It's just…you wouldn't even believe me if I did."

"Try me." He challenged, but was rewarded with only a shake of the head and a deep sigh. "Fine, then. So…you really think I'm an ass, huh?"

Regina laughed, possibly for the first time since she had moved to New York, but it was a laugh all the same, and it lit Michael's face up even more. "Very much so." She stifled through a laugh.

* * *

Henry sat at the kitchen table with his cell phone in hand, her number already present on the screen. He hadn't called her, although the hour was marking the third since he'd made the decision to try. Still, though, he sat and waited, and waited, and then he waited some more until eventually the suspense was killing him and he pressed enter.

He heard it ring a few times, and then there was a click. Someone was laughing in the background, but he only paid attention to the sound of Regina's laughter. She sounded so happy, and he realized that she didn't even know she had answered. "Mom?" He called through the phone, but he didn't receive a reply.

Regina honestly did seem happy, and he honestly didn't want to ruin that for her, so before he realized what he was doing, he closed his phone and left it sitting on the table. He would try again later…or maybe not.

**So I have decided to continue this!:) YAY! Thank you to all who reviewed, and followed, and favorited, and encouraged me to extend this would-be-one-shot. Review, and I will update soon! Hopefully. Friday:D**


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